Abstract

In this paper, I investigate the relationship between love and art in the novel Lucinde. First, I analyse two cases of disappointments in love experienced by the young painter─and protagonist─Julius, which are symbolised by certain aesthetic defects: Lisette could not respond to Julius' love because of her life as a prostitute, which corresponds to her sensualistic tastes. Likewise, Julius' fruitless love for a married woman gave rise to a strained style to his painting. Second, I focus on his relationship with Lucinde, in which they completely affirmed each other's individuality. The reconciliation with his own life through love brought grace and maturity to his art. This should be interpreted as the realisation of 'the romantic', which is defined in Schlegel's essay 'Dialogue on Poetry' as a combination of 'the sentimental' and 'the fantastic'. Third, I turn my attention to the distinction by Julius between male and female love. He believes that, in contrast to female love which is concentrated only towards one object, a man can develop friendships between multiplicities of mature spirits and thus complement his own individuality. From this, I draw the conclusion that, in this novel, a female artist is excluded from the artistic cooperation